Steve Smith returned to Test cricket in some style on Thursday. Amidst all the negativity and jeering, Smith did what he does well, score a century in the opening game of the Ashes.
Smith's 144 off 219 balls was gritty and nothing short of a fight in enemy territory. Birmingham on Thursday was all about pulling Smith down but the greatness of the player allowed him to rise above the hate and demand respect from the finest of the game and the most ardent of English supporters.
From Piers Morgan to Michael Vaughan, everyone was in awe of the Aussie, who showed little signs of being away from red-ball cricket for over 15 months or so.
The 30-year-old's knock allowed Australia to have something on the board at the end of day one but it looks like it also resurfaced a forgotten rivalry off the pitch -- who is better Steve Smith and Virat Kohli?
Following Smith's innings, as the patrons of the game stood up and applauded another masterclass from the former Aussie captain, Twitter was all about banter and how Kohli is better than Smith.
